THE BLUE MOUNTAINS - Rose and Megan Harvey, a mother-daughter team from Thornbury, have set a lofty goal in the name of children's charity.
In less than two weeks, they will hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Megan Harvey is just finishing her exams in her final semester of high school at Georgian Bay Secondary School. She is a member at Georgian Peaks Ski Club, where she first heard about Live Out Loud adventures when a fellow member made a presentation.
"I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone before I go to university," said Harvey.
Then, last June, one of Harvey's personal heroes Spencer West (a speaker from Me to We, and a man with no legs) climbed Kilimanjaro on his hands.
That sealed the deal for Harvey, and she decided she would climb Kilimanjaro.
Rose is along for the hike to support her daughter, and also to mark her 50th birthday.
"I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it," said Rose. She was in a serious car accident about five years ago, and has been on a long road to recovery since then.
"We're nervous and excited," said Rose.
She is officially the youngest climber in a group of a dozen Ontarians participating in the 2013 Kili Climb for Kids 2013.
Each participant will be raising money for Amani Childrens' Home in Moshi, Tanzania at the base of Kilimanjaro.
"It's a home for street children," said Megan Harvey. "They provide education, health care and a home, and they help kids reconnect with family ... a lot of them are the same age as me."
The Harveys and the rest of the climbers will be spending an afternoon at Amani Children's Home meeting some of the children and the staff who work there.
"I thought it was good that all the permanent staff are locals," said Harvey.
Though Kilimanjaro - sometimes called "everyman's Everest" - isn't a technical climb, it's a challenging hike. The Harveys will be on the trek - taking the Machame trail - for seven days, climbing 5,895 meters to the summit and hiking 56 kilometers to Uhuru Peak. The hike will begin with temperatures at the base of the mountain close to 30 degrees Celsius, and by the summit, temperatures could be as cold as -20 degrees Celsius.
Each hiker will carry a day pack weighing 15 pounds and porters will carry the rest of the supplies.
Megan and Rose have been training since last spring, taking advantage of the local trails to hike and climbing Blue Mountain at Georgian Peaks when there is no snow.
"Our dog loves us," said Rose Harvey.
They've also been taking some spin classes and working on cardio, strength and conditioning training.
Megan is an Alpine racing coach at the Peaks, and has been a busy volunteer since elementary school. She's a volunteer at the local skating club, and has also volunteered for the Community For Youth Coalition and the Apple Harvest Festival.
Rose and Megan are hoping to raise $5,000 for the trek, and are getting close to their goal with $4,000 already collected for the children's home.
To make a donation toward their climb, call Rose at 519-599-3604 or email roseoleen@sympatico.ca. The team leaves on January 27.